I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I welcome the opportunity to discuss the delivery of maternity services at Portiuncula University Hospital. There are 12 external reviews related to maternity care at Portiuncula. Seven of these reviews have now been completed. I understand the very natural worry that developments in Portiuncula may be causing for many women and families who attend or who had planned to attend for Portiuncula maternity hospital. I also acknowledge and offer support to those women who may have had devastating outcomes as a result of their care. I am very proud of having rolled out perinatal mental health support across all 19 maternity hospitals over the last six years. These perinatal mental health supports are very important especially for first-time mothers, mothers who might be who might be nervous, mothers who might have mental health conditions and women who just might have anxiety. It is really important for them to be aware that those supports are there. In January 2025, a highly experienced external management team was put in place to oversee and manage maternity services in Portiuncula. The team reports directly to the HSE west and north-west regional management and is responsible for managing and supporting all aspects of maternity, gynaecology and neonatal services at Portiuncula. This team will continue to oversee the work and services provided at the hospital. The maternity unit at Portiuncula is being fully supported in this regard. The safety and quality of our maternity services are priorities. The steps that are being taken to support the unit are to ensure the safety of all women attending maternity services across the region. The HSE has advised that the work to implement recommendations arising from the reviews is in progress through the Portiuncula external management team and the regional women’s and children’s managed clinical and academic network. An implementation team has been established to ensure the recommendations arising from all reviews are followed and to progress any changes required over the coming months. There are currently 52 recommendations, arising from the seven reviews completed to date. I take on board what the Deputy said about the 2018 Walker report. Some of them may be implemented but not sustained. He is quite right in saying this is all about governance and accountability. This is not a blame game. This is to support the staff who are supporting women and girls every day of the week to deliver their babies safely. The implementation team will also oversee the transfer of care for women with higher risk pregnancies from Portiuncula to University Hospital Galway or the hospital of their choice. This is not a new approach. It is in line with the well-established pathways in place for the transfer of care of complex or higher risk pregnancies within the regional maternity network. This approach is being broadened to include women with a wider range of clinical factors known to contribute to higher risk pregnancies. The HSE has communicated this to the women and families booked at Portiuncula, while GPs have also been advised and may refer women to Portiuncula University Hospital for assessment of the appropriate pathway of care. These changes mean that women in rural communities who previously attended Portiuncula may now need to travel to Galway, or another unit of their choice for their maternity care. This may result in additional travel demands for expectant mothers and their families. The HSE west and north-west, through the work of the implementation team, is considering additional supports to assist women affected to ensure a seamless transfer of care for women identified as having a higher risk pregnancy.

Sentiment score: 0.31

I again thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I acknowledge and appreciate his knowledge of the situation on his doorstep. In some cases they may be patients he has worked with previously. I accept his passion about that. He is absolutely right. We have to prioritise patient safety not only at Portiuncula but across all maternity units in Ireland. The Minister and the Department of Health are continuing to work closely with the external management team, the HSE clinical leaders and families to ensure that the necessary improvements are delivered and sustained. Pregnancy in Ireland is predominantly a safe experience with good outcomes. Ireland compares well with similar countries on international safety metrics. While most women experience straightforward pregnancy and delivery, sometimes things go wrong. When they do, the health service must do all it can to establish what happened and support these women, their babies and their families to the greatest extent possible, and try to prevent it from happening again. I hear what the Deputy said about capacity issues at University Hospital Galway. I also hear what he said that asking women, who might be from a deprived area and whose financial situation might not be good, to make an additional journey for the safety of them and their babies, which is understood, can put them at a financial risk. I will certainly raise that with the Minister. There has been focused investment in the quality and safety pillar of the national maternity strategy but I know the Deputy is speaking specifically about Portiuncula today. I give him a commitment on the floor the Dáil that I will speak to the Minister today about the issues he has raised. It is a difficult time for many women - people need to go through pregnancy to understand that. People need to be reassured that they will get the best care for them and their babies and I know that is what the staff are trying to do. I acknowledge the issues the Deputy has raised here today.

Sentiment score: 0.26